1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing units, information processing methods, and to provision media therewith, and in particular, relates to an information processing unit and method for outputting operation commands to different types of electronic devices, and to a medium containing the method for the information processing unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case where a video cassette recorder (VCR) is connected to a television (TV) receiver, a remote controller dedicated to the VCR and a remote controller dedicated to the TV receiver are used. When there are different remote controller for electronic devices, as described above, a user may be confused by forgetting the correspondence between the remote controllers and the electronic devices. In addition, for controlling a series of processes by a plurality of electronic devices as in the case where a satellite-broadcasted program, received by a set top box (STB), is recorded by a VCR while being monitored by a TV receiver, different remote controllers for the electronic devices must be used.
Accordingly, a multifunctional remote controller has been developed that can operate a plurality of electronic devices by using recorded operation commands for the electronic devices.
Although the multifunctional remote controller can control electronic devices recorded in the remote controller, it cannot control a newly acquired electronic device, i.e., an electronic device for which controller information has not yet been recorded. To solve this problem, a remote controller provided with a learning function, by which an operable electronic device can be additionally recorded in the remote controller, has been further developed.
In the case where the remote controller uses its learning function to learn operation commands for the added electronic device, one of the existing buttons of the remote controller must be assigned to the added electronic device. This causes a problem in that confusion may occur because the original markings for the button of the remote controller do not correspond to the added electronic device.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing unit and method that output operation commands to a plurality of electronic devices without confusing user operations by displaying graphical user interfaces (GUIs) supplied from the electronic devices in the form of hypertext markup language (HTML), and to provide a medium providing the information processing method for the information processing unit.
To this end, according to an aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is achieved through provision of an information processing unit for controlling a plurality of electronic devices. The information processing unit includes a storage unit for storing input graphical-user-interface data for the electronic devices, a display unit for displaying graphical user interfaces corresponding to the graphical-user-interface data stored in the storage unit, a detecting unit for detecting user operations corresponding to the graphical user interfaces displayed on the display unit, and a transmitting unit for transmitting control signals controlling the electronic devices in accordance with the results of detection by the detecting unit.
Preferably, the graphical-user-interface data are described in the form of hypertext markup language. The shapes and arrangement of symbols on each graphical user interface may be similar to those of operation buttons of a remote controller dedicated to the corresponding electronic device.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is achieved through provision of a remote controller for controlling a plurality of electronic devices. The remote controller includes a storage unit for storing externally input graphical-user-interface data on the electronic devices, the graphical-user-interface data being described in the form of hypertext markup language, a display for displaying graphical user interfaces corresponding to the graphical-user-interface data stored in the storage unit, a detector for detecting user operations corresponding to the graphical-user-interface data displayed on the display, and a transmitter for transmitting control signals controlling each electronic device in response to the result of detection by the detector.
Preferably, the graphical-user-interface data include command codes for controlling the electronic devices, and the command codes correspond to control buttons displayed as the graphical user interfaces, and command data are read from the storage unit by operating each control button so that each electronic device is controlled.
The graphical-user-interface data may be stored in the electronic devices, and the graphical-user-interface data may be supplied from the electronic devices to the storage unit.
The electronic devices may store addresses at which the graphical-user-interface data are stored, and the graphical-user-interface data may be supplied from an information processing unit corresponding to each address to the storage unit.
The graphical-user-interface data may be stored in a storage medium provided separately from the electronic devices, and the graphical-user-interface data may be supplied from the storage medium to the storage unit.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is achieved through provision of an information processing method for controlling a plurality of electronic devices. The information processing method includes a storage step for storing input graphical-user-interface data on the electronic devices, a display step for displaying graphical user interfaces corresponding to the graphical-user-interface data stored in the storage step, a detection step for detecting user operations corresponding to the graphical user interfaces displayed in the display step, and a transmission step for transmitting control signals controlling the electronic devices in accordance with the results of detection performed in the detection step.
Preferably, the information processing method further includes a selection step for selecting one electronic device for supplying the graphical-user-interface data, and a record step for instructing the transmission of the graphical-user-interface data from the selected electronic device.
The information processing method may further include a selection step for selecting one electronic device for supplying the graphical-user-interface data, and a download step for downloading the graphical-user-interface data, based on the address of a graphical-user-interface-data storage server at which the graphical user interface data are stored. The address of the graphical-user-interface-data storage server is output from the selected electronic device.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is achieved through provision of a provision medium for providing a computer-readable program to an information processing unit for controlling a plurality of electronic devices. The computer-readable program controls the information processing unit to execute a process including a storage step for storing input graphical-user-interface data on the electronic devices, a display step for displaying graphical user interfaces corresponding to the graphical-user-interface data stored in the storage step, a detection step for detecting user operations corresponding to the graphical user interfaces displayed in the display step, and a transmission step for transmitting control signals controlling the electronic devices in accordance with the results of detection performed in the detection step.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the foregoing object is achieved through provision of an electronic device control method for controlling an electronic device controlled by an information processing unit. In the electronic device control method, when the electronic device receives from the information processing unit a request for transmitting graphical-user-interface data, and the graphical-user-interface data are stored in the electronic device or a storage medium belonging thereto, the method controls the electronic device to transmit the graphical-user-interface data to the information processing unit, and in the electronic device control method, when the graphical-user-interface data are not stored in the electronic device or the storage medium, the method controls the electronic device to output an address stored in the electronic device, which represents a server storing the graphical-user-interface data, and the method controls the electronic device downloads, from the server corresponding to the address via a network, and supplies the graphical-user-interface data to the information processing unit.
Preferably, the graphical-user-interface data are described in the form of hypertext markup language, and the address is an Internet protocol address.